THE Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), through Davao Light and Power Company (Davao Light), has completed the submarine cable laying in the Pakiputan Strait, which will connect Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), and expects the project to be completed by mid-2026.
Davao Light President and COO Enriczar Tia said that the company is ready and equipped to serve the people of Samal and that their priorities would be customer service support, network expansion, and substation upgrades that will help build a robust electric distribution system.
Anton Perdices, AboitizPower SVP and COO of the Distribution Business Group, said that Davao Light would strive to operate using the best practices and standards that will encourage growth and development as well as improve the quality of life.
“By doing so, AboitizPower and Davao Light will be able to support local progress and national goals,” he said.
Cable laying
A cable-laying vessel, guided by support boats and a team of technical experts and divers, has brought submarine cables across one of the narrowest points in the strait between Davao City and Samal. This route of the cable will ensure that there is less environmental impact.
The cable is 1,015 meters long and was produced in China and custom-built to the specifications of the project.
The 69-kilovolt project is expected to be completed in the middle of 2026, which will bring power network stability and support the growing load of the island.
In the following phases, the divers will secure the submarine cables underwater and construct cable terminal stations at the shore ends of Davao and Samal.
Reliable power
For years, Samal has faced power distribution issues and maintenance concerns, which led to disrupted businesses, strained households, and weakened the island’s potential as a tourist destination.
However, with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) granting provisional authority for Davao Light’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), this move has cleared the way for the submarine cable laying that connects Samal to the mainland grid.
Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib welcomed the progress of the cable laying, citing that this is a turning point for the province and means that it will have more reliable power service moving forward.
“This may be one document but this spells a brighter future and a better life to the people of Davao del Norte,” he said.
Meanwhile, Igacos Mayor Lemuel Reyes said that with the expected stability in the power network, they are looking to attract more investors and generate more jobs for the residents of Samal.
“We thank Davao Light and AboitizPower for kicking off this project; one that would improve the lives of the people in our island,” he said.
Nordeco’s contention
Earlier, Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) said on March 10, 2026, that Davao Light’s claims of authority to operate as the sole electricity distributor in Samal were misleading and premature, considering that legal proceedings remain unresolved.
Nordeco disputed several claims published by Davao Light on its official social media page a day earlier, particularly the assertion that the company’s mandate to distribute electricity in Samal has already been firmly established. The cooperative said that the case has not yet reached finality.
The electric cooperative also maintained that its franchise remains valid and may coexist with that of Davao Light under Section 11, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, as interpreted in previous jurisprudence involving the Iloilo electric cooperatives and MORE Electric and Power Corporation.
Davao Light’s answer
However, Davao Light cited Republic Act No. 12144, which took effect in April 2025 and expanded its franchise areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, as well as a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2026 upholding the constitutionality of the law, as the basis for its authority.
The company also said that a Writ of Possession was issued by the Regional Trial Court–Panabo Branch 4, which authorizes Davao Light to take over the electric distribution assets in Samal. RGP